Many useful machines may have the ability to combine and deliver two or more proportioned fluids. Common examples include post-mix beverage dispensers, frozen drink dispensers, mosquito control sprayers, commercial laundry equipment, pool chlorinators, and clean diesel, selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems. The users and manufacturers of such machines may desire simpler, less costly, more reliable, more maintainable, and/or proportioning systems and sub-systems having longer service lives.
Some existing dispensers may use a type of continuous proportioning system with known and established flow rates. For example, two methods may be used to achieve a known flow rate. A first method maintains a fluid under constant pressure passing through a fixed restriction, such as an orifice. A variation of this method includes a fluid of relatively constant pressure passing through a pressure-compensated orifice. An example of a dispensing system using such a method is a post-mix beverage dispenser found in restaurants. A second method uses a volumetric pump (i.e., a positive displacement pump) turned by a motor running at a fixed rotational speed. A variation of this method uses a variable speed motor responsive to a feedback loop. Dispensing systems may use either of these two methods. Additionally, some dispensing systems may combine the two methods.
Such methods, however, may suffer from a number of possible drawbacks. For example, such methods may require relatively complex and/or more expensive systems. Moreover, such methods may require systems that are difficult to maintain, and/or such systems may have shorter than desired service lives.
One subject of the present disclosure may be to provide a single action device that may convert a pulse of a first fluid flow and pressure into mechanical motion via a fluid motor part of the device, such that using such mechanical motion may convert it into a pulse of a second fluid flow and pressure via a fluid pump part of the device. A further subject of the present disclosure may be to provide a pulse proportioning in a dispenser array. Yet another subject of the present disclosure may be to provide pulse proportioning multiplexed in a dispenser array. Still a further subject of the present disclosure may be to provide pulse proportioning of multiple second fluids, such as, for example, ingredients, constituents, and/or additives.
Another subject of the disclosure may be to provide pulse proportioning into a single dispense. A further subject of the disclosure may be to provide pulse proportioning into a single batch for multiple dispenses.
Yet another subject of the present disclosure may be to provide pulse proportioning where a first fluid volume is controlled by time. Still another subject of the present disclosure may be to provide pulse proportioning where a first fluid volume is controlled by a level switch. Another subject of the present disclosure may be to provide pulse proportioning where a first fluid volume is controlled by a flow totalizer.
A further subject of the present disclosure may be to provide pulse proportioning with an air gap pulser. Still a further subject of the present disclosure may be to provide pulse proportioning with an amplified pulser. Yet another subject of the present disclosure may be to provide pulse proportioning with a partially, hydraulically-balanced pulser. Still a further subject of the present disclosure may be to provide pulse proportioning with a pulser for two or more fluids, where one or more fluids may be pulsed by a double acting pump.
Another subject of the present disclosure may be to provide pulse proportioning with an adjustable volume pulser. A further subject of the present disclosure may be to provide a system controller that adjusts a first fluid powering pulse width to compensate for flow rate lost by a positive displacement pump due to wear. Yet another subject of the present disclosure may be to provide a device capable of sensing a reciprocating motion for control and measurement purposes. Still a further subject of the present disclosure may be to provide fluid circuits capable of delivering multiple fluids from multiple sources to multiple destinations.
Additional subjects and advantages of the disclosure will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the disclosed exemplary embodiments.